House Passes Fuel Tax Increase for Inland Waterways

Supports Increased Investment in Lock & Dam Infrastructure On Dec. 3, the House of Representatives passed a provision that would increase a fuel tax that benefits inland waterway lock and dam construction and maintenance projects. The provision would raise the fuel tax from 20 cents to 29 cents per gallon on barges using the inland waterway system.  This excise tax revenue is deposited into the Inland Waterways Trust Fund. The tax increase would be effective for fuel used after April 1, 2015. The provision was included in H.R. 647, the ABLE Act, a bill providing for tax incentives for individuals with disabilities. Action now moves to the Senate, where 74 senators are listed as cosponsors that support the ABLE Act. AGC fully supports increasing this user fee to improve lock and dam infrastructure on our nation’s inland waterways. For more information, please contact Jimmy Christianson at (703) 837-5325 or christiansonj@agc.org.